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Pinehurst's True Worth
Witness Protection Wolfgang’s exploits were usually troublesome for the Black Widow Empire. His destructiveness, and impulsiveness usually meant that the Black Widow Empire needed to funnel resources, money, and time into reconstructing the islands that he conquered and to re-integrate the native citizens of these territories back into their homes. However, the benefits always outweighed the cost. As much as Wolfgang appeared to be this monster capable of only destruction, the truth was that he was quite smart. He was able to coordinate thousands of his men, as well as monitor the affairs of his own generals, while willingly choosing which territories to attack, and when to attack them. He was a strategic genius when it came to planning assaults, and he was probably the most strategic there was in the Black Widow Empire, even compared to Legs herself, who was renown throughout the world as The War Goddess for her combat-skills. He knew which territories were the most economically beneficial, and when they were the most vulnerable. When the islands were restored and supported with the infrastructure, and technology of the Black Widow Empire, they basically paid for themselves. Most of the time, they were rich in precious metal ores, or a variety of special fruits that could be used to create luxurious beverages, and so forth. Wolfgang was no fool. He purposely did this. Pinehurst was no different. It had strategic value for the Titan Pirates, and by possessing it for the Black Widow Empire, they removed this strategic advantage that the Titans held. What was more beneficial than that? Legs was not angry at Wolfgang for conquering Pinehurst, nor damaging the island. No, what he did was for the good of the Black Widow Empire, and under any other circumstances, he would have been welcomed back to Wano as a hero. However, Wolfgang had always separated himself from the politics of the Empire, which hadn’t always been that troublesome due to Aoshin’s precise orders. But, since Aoshin’s retirement, Wolfgang took no orders. He was the one who made them, and there was nothing more dangerous than a general who paid no attention to foreign affairs; not only to the Black Widow Empire was Wolfgang dangerous, but to the rest of the world. He moved without restrictions, and without restraint. He only had conviction and that conviction was to destroy all that stood in the Empire’s way regardless if they were friend or foe. But, perhaps, for just this one time, Wolfgang had chosen the wrong friend and foe to challenge. The Monk Pirates had conquered Pinehurst, and Wolfgang recognized that it was the perfect opportunity to acquire it for themselves, when both forces had weakened themselves tremendously. However, the Monk and Widows were in a temporary alliance against the Xros. Though it was unusual for Yonko to forge alliances with one another, Legs and Daikaku had a better relationship with one another than most Yonko. Afterall, they had spent a large portion of their pirating careers as members of the same crew. Still, to say that they were friendly would be an exaggeration. Whatever had occurred with the Hunting Pirates had pushed the five-star members away from one another. Usually, Daikaku and Legs were not allies nor enemies of the other, but their previous affairs made it so they could trust one another in times of cooperation, especially against a common enemy. However, not so much anymore. Wolfgang’s attack was not in direct violation of their contract. It was not expected that either would willingly give up contested territories to the other without some form of compensation; it also takes two to fight. No, what the issue was that Wolfgang crippled Daikaku’s favorite Ace, William Parker, who was among the youngest high-ranking member of the Monks. He was clearly Daikaku’s favorite, and Wolfgang had completely, destroyed him. From his reports and from Soros’s underworld sources, Parker was paralyzed from the neck down. Legs had no doubt in her mind that Parker wouldn’t be the same combatant he was prior to the battle with Wolfgang. In fact, she doubted that he would even be worth half of what he once was. If he ever fought another battle and won, she would be surprised. Daikaku was going to be furious, and he was going to demand retribution for Wolfgang’s actions. But Legs couldn’t offer him any, even if she wanted too. Wolfgang did his job, even if he did go too far. His duties are to secure territories and land for the Black Widow Empire; he is to govern the pirate fleet that they had acquired. Penalizing him deeply for something would not only make her empire seem regressive, but it would be morally wrong. There were no people she loved more than her crew, and there was no way in hell she was going to ever purposely put any of them in harm’s way. Not even for an old friend. Still, Wolfgang should have known the circumstances and retreated. Beating Parker is a different thing than crippling Parker. He was basically dead at this point. There needed to be something. Legs glanced over at her Den Den Mushi as she read the summary report about Wolfgang’s actions. She picked it up. “This is the first division of Izanagi’s forces! My majesty, what is the purpose of this call?” “Yes, thank you for answering so quickly. I need you to relay a message to Wolfgang for me, if you may. He is to return to Wano Country effective, immediately, and temporarily withcall all of his non-essential forces with him. He is being summoned by me,” Legs revealed. “Is that clear? “Yes, my majesty! I will relay this message to him immediately.” “Thank you!” Legs cheered, hanging up the Den Den Mushi. She stood up and looked out of the glass window of her massive office. “Wolfgang, what am I going to do with you…” ---- Justice was in truth a magnificent ship, it was akin to a floating fortress and the number of rooms it had equalled that of a small castle, aboard it he and his men lived lives of luxury. And while it paled in comparison to the much larger Widower that served as the flagship of Daddy L. Legs herself it was much faster and had some of the most destructive pieces of weaponry in the world, courtesy of the brilliant shipwright Mathison Fischer. In stark contrast to what many believed, much more went into a Campaign than just armies and brute force and his ship always had a permanent crew of more than two thousand people constantly working on maintaining the various pieces of heavy equipment, and it could carry many times that amount with ease. While most of the crew served a menial but necessary function, Tomoka Eichiro held an important role as Izanagi’s main financier and reluctant attendant, he was a tall and thin man that usually carried at least five pencils of different length and consistency on his person and had an obsession with rules and stipulations. At the moment he was carrying a huge stack of documents while addressing the Spider Empress from a Den Den Mushi perched at the top of the pile. “Yes, your majesty! I will relay this message to him immediately.” The doors to Wolfgang’s chambers were extremely large and with handles shaped like wolf heads and plated in gold, balancing the enormous pile of papers in one hand with the grace and skill of the finest accountant, Tomoka entered the main office of Izanagi – an extravagantly decorated office with a single desk and a mountain of propped pillows upon which Wolfgang could usually be found snoring, at the centre of the room was an oversized picture of his late brother. At this hour, however, the Mink sat by the desk and studied a variety of reports about the successes of the Kamiumi elsewhere in the New World. Despite how much it bored him Wolfgang could be quite diligent when he chose to be, something that probably stemmed from Foxpack’s many teachings in his youth – when Tomoka entered he groaned audibly. «I sure hope you don’t mean to place that monstrous pile at my desk, give each of the mothers 100,000,000 for their offspring and be done with it, I don’t have the time to worry about child support.» Tomoka almost dropped the pile in outrage: «S-Sir! T-that would be an enormous fortune... need I remind you that you have three-hundred-and-twenty-nine children! That would come out to 32,900,000,000!» Wolfgang just waved him off and silenced each of the traumatized financiers protests with a glare. «Next point?» Clearing his throat, Tomoka continued: «The King of the small nation of Yatazara has agreed to join the empire of her Majesty under one condition.» he suddenly began stammering and sputtering: «T-that you spend one night in his company, Sir!» There was a brief pause as Wolfgang glanced at his financier before simply shrugging. «Seeing as I already am a conqueror, executioner, general and breeding stock I might as well be a whore too. Tell him I agree to his terms.» Eichiro breathed out in relief before continuing: «Her Majesty has commanded that we withdraw all of our non-essential forces and return to Wano, she wishes to speak with Izanagi in person.» Wolfgang had expected as much, he had long been aware of the politics between the Monk Pirates and the Black Widows. Ignorance wasn’t the cause, it was just that he didn’t care – in the end, both the Monks and the Widows desired the same thing and they were gonna have to go to war eventually anyway. Allying with the Monks meant broadcasting weakness to the rest of the world if his actions made that impossible he had served her better than he’d hoped. «So be it.» ---- Several days later Wolfgang found himself outside the Office of Daddy L. Legs and after a short knock on the doors, he easily parted them and strode into the room for his audience with his ruler. The very moment that Wolfgang entered the office of Wano’s Empress, he would have been struck by the familiar warmth of Legs’ office. Like Izanagi, her desk was littered with stacks of papers consisting of various reports, and proposals that needed her approval. After spending decades conquering others on a battlefield, Legs’ responsibilities have since been reduced to sitting at a desk. Therefore, her favorite parts of the day were dealing with other people and leaders who visited to Wano. Although Minnie had told her that Wolfgang arrived at the palace through her Den Den Mushi, his presence was unmistakable. Now since he had awakened his Haoshoku Haki, what came with his aura was this unforgettable, dreadful darkness capable of consuming the soul in its entirety. It was deep, and vast like an abyss. When Wolfgang stepped in, Legs had already lifted her head from her paperwork. “Wolfgang, welcome to Wano!” Legs greeted cheerfully. “How has the Justice been treating you?” It was a curious thing to stand before the gigantic figure of his Empress, in her presence he felt like a lowly mouse being unable to even see the top of her desk from his current position on the ground, something that he quickly rectified by leaping into the air in a vanishing sprint and gently landing right in front of her paperwork. Naturally, her documents far outstripped him in size, and even the headlines on her news were taller than him. Wolfgang was a tall mink by most reasonable standards, but his mere seven feet couldn't even begin to compare to her sixty. Ordinarily, his tail would wag madly in her presence, overcome by gratitude and respect but after the death of his brother Wolfgang struggled to maintain much of his previous enthusiasm, his view on the world had dimmed now that it was stripped of the only light he'd ever known. Instead, his tail moved from side to side at a much more modest pace, to denote that he was pleased to be in her presence but hardly ecstatic, bowing her head slowly in her direction he spoke softly: "I am here as commanded, Your Majesty! What is required of me?" There was a fraught silence that succeeded Wolfgang’s immediate inquiry. Legs interjected with a slight cause, as if she was clearing her throat. “Wolfgang, I want to make it clear that in your years of service to the Black Widow Empire, you have achieved more than most people thought you ever could. When you came to me, you were a being of boundless potential, and you have molded yourself into a commander worthy of leading one of the largest pirate fleets in the entire world. You have truly made me proud, Wolfgang.” Legs’ gentle smile dissipated from her visage, and what replaced it was a stern, yet neutral, expression. “However, your recent actions have caused quite a stir. Surely, you must have known that we have a temporary alliance with the Monk Pirates. While I do not expect you to simply allow them to get an advantage over us, I also do not expect you to permanently injure one of their commanders as well. Judging from the reports, Parker was hardly a threat to you. Why didn’t you just take the opportunity to beat him and send him away without crippling him?” Wolfgang looked up at his mistress and made no attempt to lie or twist the truth in his favour as he replied: «It is precisely because he was no threat that I disabled him, he got in my way, dared to stand against me and failed to entertain me. When I heard that one of Daikaku’s Top Executives would be present at Pinehurst I got my hopes up and he disappointed me to a ridiculous degree.» As if to emphasize his outrage at this his tail slowed down dramatically a slight pendulum-like notion, demonstrating his anger quietly. «Furthermore, I also wholly oppose that we even need to make an Alliance with the Monks in the first place, William Parker was apparently one of their greatest fighters and look at this!» The Mink pointed at a small patch of exposed tissue where his flames had burned him. «This was the only injury I sustained during our bout, and it came from a sloppy use of my own technique as opposed to anything that Payback did, if the greatest among them cannot even manage to harm me then they are worthless even as meatshields. An Alliance with them will only broadcast weakness to our other enemies, and it isn’t that we lack the ability to crush Shiguma without them, you are the Empress of the most powerful nation in the world, Your Majesty, what need have we of such spineless cripples?» “We are the strongest empire, Wolfgang, and it is largely thanks to you that we have reigned and ruled over this world like true Kings and Queens. Out of all the other Yonko, Kurama, considers the Black Widows the most threatening. It Is precisely because of that, that we must proceed with caution, Wolfgang,” Legs continued. “We can not afford to fight, both a Yonko, and the marines without some type of assistance. If we invest too much into one battle, we risk opening opportunities for the other to attack us.” She smiled. “The Monks served one purpose for us. They were to absorb damage and casualties. The only reason we are invested in this war is to gain a Poneglyph; one of the four road poneglyphs. Shiguma has one, I have one, and the Monk and Titans have one as well. If the Monks were to lose a lot in this war, we could take theirs right from under them, easily. That would leave us just with the Titan’s, and this war has taken more from them then we could have ever imagined. Ralph is injured; Foxpack is….., and Burling is apparently sleeping like a princess from a myth. Even their super rookies, those horsemen are dead,” Legs spoke, and paused. “Even, Soren. Nevertheless, you have succeeded in weakening the Monks, though I believe that using them as fodder would have proved most efficient.” Legs stood up from her chair. “Still, I can not truly punish you for your actions, because they were in benefit of the empire. But, your actions have consequences that may cost us our alliance and push us to the verge of war with the Monks. You won’t be offered in exchange for them, or anything remotely of that nature. After-all, you have done well. However, for now I need to keep you monitored. Just in case the Monks attempt to use any opportunity to strike back at us. So, for now, call back your forces. At the moment, you’re placed on temporary house arrest in Wano.” Wolfgang’s eyes widened at the mention of his brother’s name and for a moment he was overwhelmed by an emotion so raw and powerful that it threatened to consume him, his heart felt like a stone and he experienced difficulty breathing, his entire being trembled at the onset of overwhelming sorrow. Ever since the loss of his brother, he’d been like this, the slightest mention of him brought him to the edge of ruin and threatened to dismantle the proud warrior that his mother had so painstakingly sought to build. His face froze and he grit his teeth together as though resisting torture, was it a test of his conviction that his mistress sought to torment him so? Punishment for his failings, was she truly cruel to that extent? Wolfgang did not know, he didn’t feel like he could ever know anything ever again, at this point every fibre of his being wanted nothing more than to break down crying in a futile attempt at emptying the bottomless pit of despair that welled up inside him. But that was impossible, that was the one thing he could not do because to do so would be tantamount to betraying his mother, father and his brother. Wolfgang was the greatest mink that had ever lived, and one day he would succeed his mistress as Pirate King, he would dedicate every ounce of his being to that eventual goal, and help her forge the empire that HE was meant to rule. There was no room for a failure in that grand scheme, and warriors felled by their emotions were weak like his brother had been. He would succeed for his sake, he would redeem him and be the son his mother had groomed him to be, maybe then... maybe then their mother would forgive his brother for his failure in the afterlife. Fighting to control his emotions, Wolfgang felt that it was a losing matter, this time... this time he would not be able to best this weakness. He dared not utter a word because he knew his voice would break and expose how pathetic he was, and he could feel his lip start to tremble just slightly and he was seized by panic. If this went on he would.. he woul- A fountain of blood burst forth from three deep slashes along his left bicep in that instant, as Wolfgang lowered his bloodied right claw. Excruciating agony overpowered his senses and eclipsed his emotional pain with the physical, the Beast of Zou had managed to regain his composure at last and when next he spoke his voice was even and unstrained even as his face and snout was partially covered by his own blood. «On the contrary, you should turn me over to them, for if Payback represents the strength of their officials then I should be able to kill all of them barehanded before they ever got the chance to execute me. What better ploy for a mass assassination could exist than making them collect their own killer, I could rid you of a number of our rivals and clear the way to their Poneglyph at the same time if need be!» Tearing loose a piece of his breeches, Wolfgang absentmindedly began drying up the spilt blood before making a makeshift bandage for his self-inflicted wound. «I have punished myself for defying your intent, mistress. Will you have me retire to the Garamanse or will you send me out to fetch the Poneglyph as I suggested?» Legs placed her hand on her chin thoughtfully as she considered the options laid out before her; but there was ultimately on deciding factor that quickly brought Legs to her decision. In that moment, the images of both Soren and Heili flashed before her eyes. “No,” Legs spoke quickly, nodding in disagreement to Wolfgang’s plan. “That’s far too risky. I believe in your abilities, but if Daikaku personally shows up for this event, you are screwed. You can’t fight him and his executives, alone, simultaneously. Daikaku may be peaceful and quiet, but you have angered him greatly by hurting his favorite commander. He’d surely want to see you dead, and I simply won’t allow that to happen, Wolfgang. Not to another one of my own, right now.” She glanced at his wound. “Report to our health division immediately. There is no need for you to ever mutilate yourself in punishment for something that you don’t deserve to be punished for. If anything, this is nothing but a precaution. Because, you are very special to me Wolfgang. So, special. Thus, retire to your personal residence, and do not leave under any circumstances until I speak with Daikaku. If he demands your head as retribution, we’ll have no choice but to go to war. However, Daikaku is understanding, and above all, his central attribute is his immense wisdom. I have no doubt that he’ll do something so…complacent. Not while his commander has been smitten by the might of a god.” Isolating a God Wolfgang grunted at his empress and excused himself to carry out his penitence, it weighed on his mind for by commanding him to withdraw his troops she had unwittingly weakened her own military. In these times every garrison served an important function whether they be defensive or offensive, and to withdraw even one of them would be a tactical error on their part. In the years before he awakened the Conqueror’s Colors, Wolfgang would have meekly surrendered to her experience and great station; but that time had long since passed. Wolfpouch had filled his heads with dreams and promises, promises of all the glory that awaited those fortunate few who were destined by the universe itself to rise as kings, and how could he dare question his instincts now that he knew the truth of what he was? No, he would not turn his back on his conquests so easily, the Black Widow Pirates could not be observed backing down like this. He would abide by his temporary isolation but he would still command his men from afar, some of his subordinates possessed great powers themselves and the time had come for them to prove themselves worthy as the Kamiumi: Amaterasu, Susanoo and Tsukuyomi. ---- The Garamanse lied on a massive island off the coast of mainland Wano, it was surrounded by several whirlpools and only a handful of ships in their fleet could navigate those currents safely and his very own Justice was among that vanishing number. Even from the harbor, it towered above the treetops, a gargantuan eastern castle with lavish halls and hundreds of rooms, what was most unusual was that most of the walls were reinforced with seastone to make them as durable as they needed to be to house a man of his calibre. It also had the desirable side-effect of making it possible to fight inside the castle with minimal issue if desired. Yet the feature that Wolfgang most adored was the garden, or more specifically, what was IN the garden: namely hundreds of statues of the Beast of Zou himself, each sculpted with perfect accuracy according to his own proportions. So exceptionally lifelike were they that it was bliss and torture both to walk past them, Jealousy was a companion of Wolfgang, he was jealous of every single man or woman he ever slept with for on his part he’d been treated to common and trite experiences to be repeated countless times more. But they.. they had had the undeniable privilege that it was to know him intimately. Staring longingly at his own countenance, Izanagi caressed the statue almost lovingly for a few moments before entering his castle and commencing his solitude. Category:Role-Plays Category:Finished Role-Plays Category:Njalm2 Category:Berserkchart486